KOHAT: Fluctuations in electricity supply coupled with frequent faults in low capacity power transformers have multiplied difficulties of the people of various areas of Kohat in the hot weather.

The Pesco officials have collected Rs22,000 from the people connected with the city-2 feeder for replacement of the main cable of a transformer, saying that by following the procedure it would be fixed in at least four days, while on payment it would be replaced in couple of hours.

The consumers had to pool the money under duress, raising questions why Pesco did not have 22 yards of service wire available to it. Pesco consumers in different areas, especially Hangu road, Rawalpindi road, Shakardarra and villages on the city’s outskirts, complained they were facing extreme problems due to frequent power failures.

A local councillor, Shah Raza, told Dawn that the electricity remained at low voltage for 20 hours on Hangu road, which badly affected the people.

The Pesco officials said in many parts on the Hangu road the theft rate was very high therefore they cut the supply for long hours due to nonpayment of dues and reduced amount of volts was also a punishment for that.

They said they had asked many a times Pesco officials to put the theft areas on separate feeder because all the villages were not thieves. But they were not being heard.

Similarly, the dwellers on city-1, city-2 and city-3 feeders demanded installation of high capacity transformers in the streets. Presently there was one transformer for three streets which had become overloaded in past more than a decade.

The last ANP government had started a campaign to install heavy duty transformers in every street and upgraded the 100KV transformers to 200KV but they were removed after some time and again low capacity transformers were put in place. Moreover, despite presence of repairing workshop in Kohat the Pesco officials demand money for transformers’ repair from the consumers.

Former MNA Sheharyar Afridi said that he had transferred the workshop from Nowshera to Kohat so that standby transformers were available for early replacement but unfortunately no betterment had been witnessed due to the attitude of the Pesco officials.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2018